Papaji

Meditation is to effortlessly turn the mind toward that energy which energizes mind.

Stillness of mind comes from giving up all attachments except that attachment to Self.

Thoughts are impediments to seeing your own face. Don’t give rise to any thought, and discover who you are.

Self is what gives breath to Life. You need not search for It, It is Here. You are That through which you would search. You are what you are looking for! And That is All it is.

When we use the word “I”, there is ego. Then there is the mind, then there is a body, then there are senses, then there are sense objects, and then all manifestation arises.

Life

Birth: Sri H. W. L. Poonja (Hariwansh Lal Poonja) also know as “Poonjaji” or ” Papaji“ , was born in Gujranwalla, in western Punjab, which is now Pakistan to Parmanand and Yamuna Devi on October 13, 1910. His mother was the sister of Swami Rama Tirtha, one of the most famous saints of India .

Realization: At the age of eight, while visiting relatives in Lahore, Poonjaji had a direct experience of Self, which lasted for three days. Wanting to regain this experience of Peace and Bliss, Papaji’s mother encouraged him to devote his life to Krishna, who would give him this Liberation. his desire for God was not quenched, so he went searching across India for someone who could show him God. After being told by a sadhu that there was a person, Ramana Maharshi, who could show him God, he upon meeting Ramana, rather than being given another vision of God Ramana pointed him in the direction of his own Self. He pointed out that gods who appear and then disappear are not continuous, only the One who was aware of those gods was continuous. He encouraged Poonjaji to find the One who had seen the visions of God because that One ( Consciousness ) does not come and go. under Ramana’s gaze he became aware of the spiritual Heart.after a lifetime of devotion, he found that he could no longer bring his mind to think of God, do japa or any other spiritual practice.he asked Ramana for help and was told that this was not a problem, that all his practice had carried him to this moment and it could be left behind now because it had served its purpose. On hearing this and bathing in the silent gaze of his guru, Poonjaji felt his body purified and remade atom by atom, transforming him as if he were being given a new body one atom at a time.

Death: Papaji died on 6 September 1997 in Lucknow, India.

Teaching Style: Papaji shares his teachings with his wise words, his look, his touch, and simply by the silent spiritual power that radiates from his Presence. During satsang he told his devotees to go home and share their experience and the teachings with friends. He called them ambassadors and messengers. Thousands of people he sent back with this mission.

Fame: Although Poonjaji denied being part of any formal tradition, he is considered by many to be a yogi-saint of the Advaita Vedanta and Bhakti Traditions. Papaji has directly shown to thousands that the Truth is the most magnificent Mystery undifferentiated from our very Self. He guides one to surrender to the wisdom of our Being and that we are the Truth. thousands of ways to stop your mind, to help you inquire into who you really are, to turn your awareness directly toward awareness he proves to be a Master of each and every tradition.

Legacy : Poonjaji refused to identify himself with any tradition and was considered decidedly radical in the directness of his teaching. His satsang his teaching was consistent with that of his guru Ramana Maharshi, his style and manner of teaching has been compared to the early Chan (Zen) masters.a powerful transmission of awareness, presence, grace, love, bliss or shaktipat was experienced by many who met him, often dropping them directly into an experience of the Self.

Teachings

Papaji taught self-inquiry, which involved locating a person’s sense of “I” and focusing on and investigating this directly.

He emphasized that there is ultimately no difference between guru and devotee, no teacher, no disciple and even no message.

Papaji says that our bodies are just on temporary loan from the panch mahabhutas, the five elements.

He stressed that teaching through silence was more important than teaching through words. Keep Quiet! Don’t stir a thought. Look within. There, you will find your own True Nature, where it has always been.

He told that “You are the unchangeable Awareness in which all activity takes place. Always rest in peace. You are eternal Being, unbounded and undivided. Just keep Quiet. All is well. Keep Quiet Here and Now. You are Happiness, you are Peace, you are Freedom. Do not entertain any notions that you are in trouble. Be kind to yourself. Open to your Heart and simply Be.Those who know This know Everything. If not, even the most learned know nothing at all.”

According to him, self is what you are.You are That Fathomlessness in which experience and concepts appear.Self is the Moment that has no coming or going. It is the Heart, Atman, Emptiness. It shines to Itself, by Itself, in Itself. Self is what gives breath to Life. You need not search for It, It is Here. You are That through which you would search. You are what you are looking for! And That is All it is.Only Self is.

Papaji told that “If I come back, I must go, and if I go I must come back. Therefore, the Truth is neither I come, nor I go. This is the Truth. Who goes? You speak of the body, not of your own Self. The Self doesn’t come and doesn’t go.”

He told that “The Silence that I speak about is neither meditating nor sitting quiet. The Silence that I speak about has nothing to do with meditation or talking or not talking because then the mind is still running about here and there and everywhere. What I mean by Silence is that should be no thought rising from the mind. No thought rising from your mind is Silence.”

He told that “only you have to remove what stands between you and the freedom in front of you. Some veil is in front of you and that veil is ego. Ego. If you remove the ego by your own self, or someone who can do it, surrender to that person and he will do it. Only you have to remove this ego. When ego is gone, then the mind is gone and when the mind goes, you are placed in a state of no-mind, and this no-mind is very close to freedom.””

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